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Prasanna wants WPC members at school development meetings
Western Province schools have been instructed to ensure the participation of three members of the Provincial Council in their School Development Society (SDS) meetings.
Letters have been issued with the signature of WP Chief Minister (CM) Prasanna Ranathunga, outlining clear instructions on how the meeting should be held, and includes the names of the three PC members allocated to each school.
According to the instructions, money allocated by the Education Dept for maintenance work of each school, up to Rs 150,000 per school with over 1,000 students, is to be handed over to the SDS at this meeting. The money allocations were scheduled to be disbursed after September 15.“The schools have started holding their SDS meetings now. It is a clear politicisation of State education in the country. This has never happened before. What does a PC member or any politician know about Education and school development? That is what the Education Dept is there for,” claimed, Ceylon Teachers’ Union General Secretary, Joseph Stalin, criticising the move.
According to Mr Stalin, similar instructions have been given to schools in the Central Province, where every Parent-Teacher meeting has to include a PC or Pradeshiya Sabha member of the ruling party.The letter also outlined an agenda which includes analysis of Ordinary and Advanced Level exam results in the past five years, and awarding of certificates to students who have obtained more than 100 marks at the recent Scholarship exam.
The CM has also instructed school principals to submit details of development plans of each schools, after discussing them with organisations involved in the school, including the SDS, past pupils’ associations and school building society. These organisations are liable for 30 per cent of the expenses incurred in the said development plans, the letter stated.
These plans should be submitted to the Zonal Education office with the signature of the area PC member of the UPFA.
“PC members have no hand in planning activities of schools or zonal education offices in this country. With this requirement, principals will have to go to these politicians and get their signatures. This devalues the position of the principals as well. Further, this is not the practice of the State service nor the administrative service” claimed Mr Stalin.